Top 10 Side Gig Apps and Sites for Freelancers

If you’re looking for a steady side gig and you have specialized skills to share, becoming a freelancer is a great opportunity to make some extra cash on your own terms. Whether you’re freelancing full-time or just to make some money to supplement your income, there’s a good chance you’ll spend a significant amount of time looking for new projects and clients. Below, we’ve put together our list of the top 10 side gig apps and sites for freelancers.

1. Upwork

With over 12 million freelancers and 5 million clients listing around 3 million freelance writing, design, and development jobs each year, Upwork has become one of the most popular platforms for freelancers to find work. Companies post job details, and freelancers can apply to the job with some details about how their background and experience is well-suited for the project. Then, the company chooses which freelancer they want to work with. Upwork does take 20% of the project fee, but this is a great platform for those who are new to freelancing and trying to build up their clientele.

2. Fiverr

Fiverr gets its name from the company’s premise that every freelance job starts at just $5. Though this may seem like a low price to charge for freelance work, you are able to set up tiers above the base $5 option to charge appropriately for different services. You decide which gigs you want to create (or services you want to offer) and then you post them to your profile. When clients want the service, they can pay you to deliver. It’s free to sign up, but Fiverr takes 20% of each transaction, so you’ll want to keep that in mind when pricing services.

3. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is the go-to site for not only freelancers but also for those who are looking for other remote opportunities and flexible side gigs. This platform makes it easier for freelancers and flex workers to find worthwhile opportunities, as the FlexJob team works to filter out scams and other junk opportunities so users are only looking at real quality job opportunities. Though you can browse opportunities on the site for free, if you want access to the full freelance job postings, you will need to become a paid member.

 

4. 99 Designs

99 Designs is a popular site for freelance designers that works a little differently than the standard freelance site. Clients will publish contests on the platform, and designers will submit their work. The client will then choose the design they like best and pay the designer for their work. The downside to this site is that if you don’t win, you won’t get paid for your design work. However, this can be a great way for new freelancers to build up their portfolios and earn money based on their talent and skill rather than years of experience.

5. Gigster

Gigster is a site focused on freelancers with tech expertise. Freelance software designers, web designers, and app developers can find projects as the site’s AI matches freelancers with projects based on their experience and skillset. It’s important to note that this is not a site for newbies. But experienced tech developers can find interesting web development, artificial intelligence, mobile development, and product design projects from a wide variety of companies.

6. Freelancer

Freelancer.com brings together freelance writing and design professionals and companies who have projects they need to hire for. This site has a wide variety of project types with some offering an hourly rate and others designed as contests. What’s the catch? You only get 8 free applications before you have to pay a membership fee. Once you start taking on freelance projects, the commission fee is between $3-5 or 3-5% of the project price, whichever is greater. This is one of the lower commission rates out there for freelance platforms.

7. Guru

The Guru platform makes it easy for freelancers to create a profile that demonstrates their experience and skill set, helping potential employers easily find the freelancer online to reach out about projects. Guru also features a wide variety of different job postings that freelancers can apply to, including projects for programmers and developers, designers, artists, writers, translators, sales and marketing professionals, secretaries, engineers and architects, business and finance professionals, and lawyers. Users have a limited amount of free applications, and Guru takes a 9% commission rate.

8. SolidGigs

Similar to some of the other freelance sites, SolidGigs hand-picks the freelance job opportunities you see by filtering out the scam postings and junk opportunities that are a waste of time. After combing through dozens of freelance job boards, SolidGigs sends you the top 2% of freelance gigs available each week straight to your inbox. As an added benefit, SolidGigs also has a massive resource library with courses, interviews, templates, and other tools that will help you pitch, price, and sell your freelance skills to new clients. After a 30-day trial period for $2, regular membership is $19 per month.

9. Belay

Interested in becoming a virtual personal assistant? Belay is one of the leading virtual assistant solutions companies in the United States. The site offers both part- and full-time virtual assistant positions for freelancers who want flexible, remote work as an administrative assistant. It’s important to note that Belay is looking for individuals with at least 5 years of experience in an administrative support role and availability during business hours with at least 20 hours per week to dedicate to the work.

10. Toptal

Toptal helps freelancers in the IT and finance spaces find quality gigs. Jobs can range from software engineering and coding projects to market research and product management. It’s important to note that Toptal is not the best option for those who are new to freelancing or those who only have a few years of experience in their industry. You have to apply to be able to use the platform, and the company only accepts the top 3% of freelancers.

Boost your income by taking charge of your freelance game. Try one or more of the above services as a way to supplement your full-time job.